Apparatus for cleansing rubber.



- PATENTED JUHE 9,1908.

M. G. CLARK. APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING RUBBER..

urmmnon FILED MAR. 2a, 1907.

a SHEETS-SHEEjB'i.

ZIVVENTOI? BY WITNESSES.

W MWN PAT-ENTED JUNE 9, 190B.

M. c. CLARK. APPARATUS, r011 CLEANSING RUBBER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907.

3 SHEB TSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES.-

No. 890,498, PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. M. G. CLARK.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING RUBBER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

" UNITED s'rA'rns PATENT DFFICE.

MAURICE G. CLARK, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

APPARATUS FOR OLEANSING.RUBBER.

Patented June 9, 190

and the ike, preparatory to the process of devulcanization.

The processes heretofore followed in the reclaimnig of old vulcanized scrap rubber have been slow and expensive, due primarily to the fact that much manual labor has been required in the handling of the material to the several necessary operations, and also that the ap aratus used in the cracking, washing an conveying of the rubber has been of such character as to curtail the out ut.

y the employment of my invention the maximum output of roductwvith a minimum ex enditure of tune and labor can be obtaine and, further more, a larger per centage of the stock itself may be saved by my process and such stock is better refined than the stock treated by prior processes.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a preferred form of apparatus by which my invention may be carried into effect, but I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction herein delineated as there may be modification and variation without departing from the spirit or scope of the inven tion. In the preparation of vulcanized rubber scrap for devulcanizing several distinct operations are necessary to clean the stock and free the same from metal, sand and other articles offoreign matterbefore subjecting 1t to the process of devulcaniz'ation. For instance, the scrap must be se arated from particles of cloth and the ike, clingin thereto and also buckles, rivets, eyelets an other metallic articles usually attached to boots and shoes. By means of my invention I. correlate the several operations in such manner as to obtain a continuous system, the stock being carried automatically from one operation toanother until it is ready for devulcanization.

In the accompanying drawings likelcharacters of reference indicate like parts all the views, and Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional side elevation showing my ratus; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; 3 is a vertical cross section taken throng the acid-boilin tank, washing tank, storage bin and an acid catch-basin, on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 1; Fi 4 is a vertical cross section through the e evator at the end of the wash tank; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showin the crackin mechanism, the con'veyers-an rinsing .tan s; Fig. 6 is a lon itudinal sectional elevation of the acid boiling tanks and the Washing tanks such as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the roll cracking mechanism for cracking the rubber, the latter being deposited initially in the chute 1. Beneath the cracking rollers 1 is located a rinsing tank 3, and a similar tank 4 is located beneath the cracker 2-, the material being carried by the belt conveyer 5, from the tank 3 to the crackers 2. From the tank 4 the stock is carried by the endless drag conveyer 6 and delivered to the horizontal conveyer 7, which in turn transfers the stockto the storage bins 8 and 9. Each of these storage tanks is rovided with an 0 en bottom portion 8" an 8*, respectively, 0 osed by a suitable slide or door andbeneath the binsare arranged the acid boiling tanks 10 and 11, provided with stirring or agitating devices 12 and 13 respectively connected to the shafts 12 and 13 and driven in a'suitable manner from the shaft '13. These acid tanks are-shown in detail in Fig. 6, the tank 12 being supplied with the steam heating coil 14, while .the tank 13 is supplied with a similar steam coil 15 and such tanks are further provided with valves 16 and 17.respec tively, in the base thereof for discharging the stock into the washing tank 18. Extending through the washer tank is the shaft 19 provided with a series of propeller blades 19 for agitating the stock. This tank is supplied with water by means of. the pipe 20 ,and is provided withan overflow 21 for carryingrqfi the water and acid combined after the stock has been Washed. At one end of the tank is a bucket elevator 22 separated from the main portion of the tank by the partition-23, a movable guide as at 24, whenraised, permitting the stock to flow into the elevator boot from whence it is. lifted by the elevator I is a receptacle and discharged into the refining mechanarranged beneath the acld tanks and alongside the washing tanks for receivin the acid'solution which is drawn from the acid boiling tanksafter the process of boiling is completed, and 26 is an adjust- Y able trough orshoe arranged to deliver materialeither'into the washing tank or into the tank for the acid solution, as is clearly shown m Fig. 3.

to vertical or can raise it simultaneously to the bottom of the refining machine. A drag allow the fiushing of the refuse collected from conveyer 25,; is provided for discharging the refined product into a' devulcanizing car or other desired receptacle, and 29 is a catch basin through which all water from the refining trough 27 passes. As the refining mechanism just described forms the subject-,

matter'of an application executed by me as J of 'evendate' herewith, I do not in this case make any claim to the construction of such tank, as the latter isclaimed per se in the aforesaid specification.

,- The operation of the whole apparatus 1 forming the subject-matter of this applica- '35 tion is as follows: The vulcanized rubber scralp is fed into the hopper or chute leading to t e cracker 1, and passes into the rinsingtank 3 which is supplied with Water and with an overflow forcarryin, off the dirty water,

as is shown in Fig. 5'.' he drag conveyer 5 collects the stock in the tank 3 and dis- [charges the same through the cracker 2 and .is I preferably a From the tank such stock after passing through the last cracker is dischar ed into the tank 4 which duplicate of thetank 3. 4 the stock is taken by the gdragconveyer 6 and delivered to the hori- -zo'n'tal conveyor 7 he'stock to the storage blns 8 and 9.

which, in turn, transfers ractice one of the storage bins is filled and ceding the stock into the acid'tank there- 'beneath' while the crackers are taking on a tan ly for the other storage bin. The acid is filled with a solution of any suitable sulfuric acid and water of the sup sort, such as proper strength and quality. Steam is then The chute 1n turned into the coils in the bottom of the tank and the stirring mechanism actuated.

the bottomof the storage bin is. then opened filling the acid-boiling tank with the proper amount of stock.- This operation of boilin the acid'is employed to remove any text' e material, such as is usually combined-with rubber inthe making of tires, boots, shoes and the like. When ploye the boiling process is completed the stirring mechanism is stopped, steam shut off from the coils, and the valve in the bottom of the tank is raised a short distanoe i'rom its seat, thus allowing the solution in the boiling tank to drain off throu h the perforations in -theeXt-ension of the va ve, and by means of the adjustable trough 26 the acid flows to the catch-basin 25. When the solution has been drained off from the stock the direction of the adjustable trough is reversed so as to discharge intov the washing tank 18, the valve in the bottom of the boiling tank bein entirely withdrawn and the stock is flushed out into the wash tank by means of the water supply pipe 18, as is shown in Fig. 6. VVithin the wash tank the stock is agitated by means of the propeller blades on the shaft 19 which are rotated in the proper direction to project or force the stock toward the end wherein is located the bucket elevator 22. Durin the agitating process, which is e1n'-' rimarily for the purpose of washing the aci out ofthe material the gate 24 and partition 23 are closed so that no stock is permitted to enter the elevator boot. and a supply of water is kept flowing in through the pipe 20 and the dirty water is allowed to flow off into the screen outlet or conduit 21.

, After a proper cleansing in the washing tank 18 the water is shut off, the gate 24 raised, the elevator 22 set inmotion and the stock discharged in uniform quantities into the refining machine 27 the shaft 19' being kept revolving and the propellerblades forcing the stock into the elevator boot until the washing tank is empty. While washing the I batch of stock from one acid boiling tank another batch will be boiling in the next tank and vice versa.

The refining machine R has the trough 27 inclined toward the delivery end and is furnished with a supply of water at the end Where it receives the stock from the bucket elevator 22 as is described in my application aforesaid. The adjustable curved gates having been set in proper osition the stock is carried by the force of t 1e water over the top edge of the gates and down the incline toward the drag conveyor 28. All heavier substances of foreign matter. such as gravel,

' articles of metal and the like, will be held.

ackby the gates and dropped to the bottom of the trough, 'while all the clean refined stock will be carried to the dragconveyer car or other receptacle. Under the drag and from thence delivered to a devulcanizing conveyer 28 is a perforated screen which al- I lows the water to pass through and discharge by gravity to a catch-basin or settling tank below;

ppllverized so fine that it will pass through a ely' meshed screen, and theobject of the During the cracking. and boiling operations a portion of the stock may be ground or 'cani'zation.

catch-basin or settling tank is to retain this I fine stock that has escaped from the refining Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination of cracking mechan ism, a storage tank, a conveyer located between the cracking mechanism and the. storage tank, an acid tank, a wash tank located adjacent to the acid tank, refining mechanism, and means for conveying the material from the acid tank to the refining mechanism. 2. The combination with the cracking or 1 breaking mechanism, the storage" tanks,

means for conveying the material from the cracking mechanism to the storage tanks, the acid tanks below the storage tanks, stirring mechanism-within the acid tanks, the wash tank adjacent to the acid tank and adapted to receive material therefrom, [agitating mechanism witl n the wash tank, refining mechanism, ani means for conveying material from the wash tank to the refining.

mechanism.

3. The combination with the cracking mechanism, conveying means for conveying material from the cracking mechanism, a boiling tank, a Wash tank located adjacent to the boiling tank, refining mechanism, and

means for conveying the material from the wash tank to the refining mechanism.

4. The c'ombina'tionofa primary set of cracking rolls, a secondary set of cracking rolls, means for conveying material from the primary. to the secondary set of cracking rolls, a boiling tank, a wash tank, refiningmechanism, and means for conveying the material from the Wash tank to the refining mechanism.

5. The combination with the cracking rolls, conveying mechanism for taking material therefrom, a horizontally disposed conveyer, a storage tank located adjacent to the horizontal conveyer, a boiling tank beneath the storage tank,.stirring mechanism for the boiling tank, 'means for washing the stock after. it has been removed from the boiling tank, and means for refining the stock.

6. The combination of the cracking mechanisin, a storage tank, means for conveying the storage tank, a boiling tank located bethe material from the cracking mechanism to neath the storage tank, and stirringgmechanism within the boiling tank.

7. The combination of the cracking mechanism, a storage tank, a series of conveyers for carrying the material from the cracking mechanism to the storage tank, a boiling tank for receiving the material from the storage tank, stirring mechanism within the boiling tank, a wash tank, means for conveying the material from the boiling tank to'the wash tank, and means for agitating the ma terial within thewash tank.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a storage tank, a boiling tank located beneath the storage tank and designed to .receive material passing through an'opening in the storage tank, mechanically operated storing mechanism in the boiling tank, a wash tank located adjacent to and designed to receive the material from the boiling tank and me chanically operated agitating mechanism in the wash tank.

9. In an apparatus of the class described a tank within which the material is boiled, ea wash tank located adjacent to the boiling tank, and to which the material passes through an opening in the boiling tank, refining niechanism, and conveying mechanism for carrying the washed material from the washing tank to the refining mechanism- 10. The combination of the primary cracking roll, the secondary cracking rolls, conveying mechanism for takingmaterial from the primary to the secondary cracking rolls, the boiling tank within which the material is boiled, the wash tank within which the material is washed, the refining mechanism, and.

means for conveying the material from the wash tank to the refining mechanism.

, l 1.. The combination of the cracking mechism, the boiling tank Within which the material is boiled after it has been cracked, stirring mechanism within the boiling tank, the Wash tank, agitating mechanism Within the Wash-tank, a receptacle for the receptionof the fluid from the boiling tank, a refining ,mechanism, and means for removing the material from the acid tank to the refining mechanism. I

12. The combination of the boiling tank within which the material is boiled in acid or the like, the wash tank adjacent to the boiling tank, a receptacle for acid flowing from the boiling tank, stirring mechanism within such boiling tank, agitating means within the wash tank, and means for removing the material from the wash tank after it has been washed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE CLARK. Witnesses: I

RICHAR Bi CAVANAGH,.

W. A. PAULIN 

